Tucked away in a quiet north Bellingham neighborhood, a bright yellow barn appears seemingly out of nowhere. The building is home to Kara’s Beauty Barn, a skin care and permanent cosmetic studio where, as their motto states, “relaxation meets results.”
Owner Kara Burt was a teacher before deciding to attend beauty school at 30. She now specializes in permanent cosmetics, while her two employees focus on skin care. Services at the beauty barn include microblading, chemical peels, airbrush tanning, and event makeovers.
As for the barn, Burt doesn’t mind that the property is tucked away, out of sight. It’s her intention to keep her spa in a secluded and peaceful area, despite the lack of nearby traffic that might otherwise bring in customers. The seclusion of the beauty barn is what differentiates the beauty barn from other spas in the area. While some new clients find the commute bothersome at first, Burt says they always walk away in love with the location.
“'[It’s the] feeling of ‘This is not what I expected,’” Burt says.
Burt and her husband built the beauty barn themselves, and have since expanded to several new buildings on the property. The buildings are all connected to a courtyard that serves as a staging ground for events like ladies wine nights. The property also boasts a sauna, hot tub, and a vintage camper that Burt has renovated into another treatment room.
Many of Burt’s customers come from word-of-mouth and feel like they are “in on a secret.” Burt relies heavily on referral programs to encourage customers to tell their friends; when they do, both parties receive a discount on services.
Although group events like Ladies Night Out and Skin Care Parties are on pause during COVID-19, Burt is grateful that clients can still feel pampered at the spa.
“During this time, you’re exhausted differently…everybody is stressed out,” Burt says.
Burt looks forward to when clients can stick around and relax after their treatments. She also has plans to create new events, like yoga in the courtyard, and collaborate with local businesses to sell merchandise.
“I feel totally maxed out on the actual building my husband and I do,” Burt says. “I would say collaborating would be my biggest goal for the future.” 1711 Pence Ave. Bellingham, 360.778.2433, karasbeautybarn.com
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